Complacency and motorcycles

I was towards the end of a nice long ride this morning. Jamming to the Doobie Brothers and approaching a 90 degree left turn I've ridden dozens of times. The last third or so of the turn is blind due to trees on the inside of the curve. Outside of the curve is wide open - an embankment covered with kudzu.

I was just about at the point where I'd start getting back on the throttle when - HELLO!!! - there's a deer standing in the middle of my lane. Since I wasn't gassing it yet it was a fairly uneventful stop but for a second or two, I'm not sure which of us was more startled.

Folks, I thought about it the rest of the ride home. Even if you're on the same road you've ridden hundreds of times, there's no margin of error for complacency when riding a motorcycle. Easy to say but hard to put into practice on a daily basis.

Dr. D...I hear what you are saying. The only ticket I received was a "Hollywood" stop one block from my house at a 4-way stop intersection. Officer said you should be able to count 3 seconds before proceeding through any stop sign posting.

I must have gone through that stop 100 times the same way before, doesn't make it right knowing that kids and families you know and love are nearby...it is never only about US vs. them...just good common sense and judgement.

Good to hear you are still kicking. Deer scare the SNOT out of me they are so erratic you never know they are going to do. Well i guess that is the same as anything else on the road but they get my heart beating every time.

Happened to me, or rather the vehicle in front of me, just yestersday. Came around a curve, deer jumped in front of him. The guy was oblivious, powered right on through, until the second deer jumped in front of him. Then he locked the brakes, just missed the thing, and stomped on the gas. That's when I stopped so I wouldn't hit the third one that jumped out.

Same thing happened to me a couple of weeks ago and deer are not a big problem here on the central coast of California. However, there are a few deer in the area and one of them decided to hop out of the bushes onto a street that is just a couple of blocks from my house. It was dark and suddenly there it was. It reminded me to drive a lot more cautiously, especially once the sun goes down.

yeah i allmost eat it turning onto a road i'd been down 1000 times its a turn that kinda bares to the left normaly i'd take it around 25mph with no problem this morning my mind was off in lala land i guess and i didn't slow down enough (prob took it at around 40mph)drug my foot pegs pretty bad but i made it scared me pretty bad and it was nobodys fault but mine.

I ride a lot of back country roads in shouthern NJ. I have learned to expect the unexpected. People, when driving these roads become complacent, because they never expect to meet anyone coming the other way. You have to be alert constantly....